II. ASTRONOMICAL AND COSMOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE IN MYTHOLOGY AND RELIGION BALTICA 10 BALTICA MESOPOTAMIAN INFLUENCES ON PERSIAN SKY–WATCHING AND CALENDARS. PART II. ISHTAR AND ANAHITA ARCHAEOLOGIA

KRZYSZTOF JAKUBIAK, ARKADIUSZ SOŁTYSIAK

Abstract

There are a small number of similarities between Ishtar and Anahit, the Persian and Babylonian Venus-goddesses. These similarities may result from cultural diffusion between Persia and Mesopotamia, which was mainly eastwards. We present a comparison of the attributes belonging to both Ishtar and Anahita. This is mainly based on the Mesopotamian sources, since the Persian ones are very meagre. The relationships and influences between the two goddesses are visible in the symbolism of II the planet Venus and the constellation Leo, and are associated with autumnal equinox festivals. II. ASTRO- NOMICAL AND Keywords: Mesopotamia, Persia, Ishtar, Anahita, the planet Venus. COSMOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE IN MYTHOLOGY This paper is the second report on our research concern- tested, though less frequently (Szarzyńska 1997, p.116, AND RELIGION ing Mesopotamian influences on the Persian calendar 177). The three names seem to reflect the three phases and sky-watching. In the first paper, our attention was of Venus visibility. During the third millennium BCE focused on the Sun-gods Shamash and Mithra. It was Inanna was frequently mentioned as the chief goddess presented at the conference “Time and Astronomy in in local pantheon of Uruk and as an important deity Past Cultures”, which took place in the spring of 2005 in other local traditions of southern Mesopotamia. The at Toruń (Jakubiak and Sołtysiak 2006). We intend to Semitic inhabitants of Mesopotamia – first Akkadians, split the whole project into three parts, each devoted then Amorites and others – identified her with Ishtar, to one of the pairs of deities belonging to the triads their most worshipped female deity. attested both in Mesopotamian and Persian religions, An important innovation in the history of Inanna/Ish- namely Shamash and Mithra, Ishtar and Anahita, and tar occurred during the reign of Sargon the Great, the Ahuramazda and Sin. Thus in this report we turn our founder of the Akkadian empire, who promoted the attention to the second pair of deities: the goddesses of goddess as the protective deity of his kingdom. She was the planet Venus, Ishtar and Anahita. equally important to the Sumerians and Semites and thus was conceived to be a symbol of unity. Sargon’s Inanna/ Ishtar and Anahita. daughter Enheduanna composed two hymns to Inanna, Symbolism, iconography which were expressions of her veneration for the god- and attributes dess (Sjöberg 1975). Inanna from Uruk remained a very important goddess figure during the third dynasty of Ur Inanna/Ishtar was the most important female deity in and the first dynasty of Isin (ca. 2100–1800 BCE). The ancient Mesopotamia. Her name is documented first kings of these dynasties legitimized their rule by tak- in the archaic tablets found in Uruk/Warka, which ing part in the ritual performance of a sacred marriage date back to ca. 3200 BCE. At that time she was al- with the goddess. Afterwards, they were recognized as ready connected with the planet Venus and therefore protective gods of the land, and were therefore identi- called dINANA-UD/húd (Inanna of the evening) and fied with Dumuzi/Amaushumgalanna, the god of plant dINANA-sig (Inanna of the morning). The name dI- vegetation and Inanna’s consort in the Urukite tradition NANA-KUR (Inanna of the Netherworld) is also at- (Kramer 1970). 45 In the late second and first millennia BCE, Ishtar re- In an astronomical text from Ashurbanipal’s library (K mained the most important female deity and her dual 5990) the morning star was called (the male) Ishtar of character as the goddess of love and of war was ac- Akkad while the evening star was called (the female) centuated. In fact, many local female deities were Ishtar of Uruk (Heimpel 1982, p.14); the opposite at- Watching Watching identified as Ishtar and shared her general attributes. tribution can also be found (Reiner 1995, p.6; Koch– However, even when this occurred, these female dei- Westenholz 1995, p.125). This gender dualism was ties were sometimes distinguished from each other sometimes related to the duality of Ishtar’s ascription and always kept a local flavor. The most important as the goddess of both love and war (Reiner 1985a,

Mesopotamianon Persian Sky – Influencesand Calendars.Anahita Ishtar and Part II. among them were Ishtar from Niniveh and Ishtar from p.30). There is mention of a bearded Ishtar from Ba- Arbil, both worshiped by Assyrian kings. At that time bylon in a Neo-Assyrian hymn dedicated to Nanaya, Ishtar was strongly connected with the god of the Sun and a passage about Ishtar from Niniveh, also with (Shamash) and of the Moon (Sin), and this triad was a beard, in a prayer of Ashurbanipal (Heimpel 1982, frequently represented both in religious texts and in p.15). Ishtar’s androgynous character is also expressed KRZYSZTOF KRZYSZTOF JAKUBIAK, ARKADIUSZ SO Ł TYSIAK representative art, using the symbols of a star, a Sun- in a Babylonian hymn to the queen of Nippur (Lambert disc and a crescent. 1982, p.200). After the Late Uruk period, when the first readable In some local traditions the duality of Inanna/Ishtar documents were produced, Inanna/Ishtar continued to is expressed by a twin female deity. For example, in be associated with the planet Venus. This association early Uruk Inanna and Ninsun were a couple (Cohen remained constant throughout the three-thousand-year 1993, p.215); later, Ishtar was connected with Nanaya. history of the cult of this goddess. In Sumerian texts During the third dynasty of Ur, there is a description she was sometimes called Ninsianna (“heaven’s radiant of a feast of the twin goddesses Annunitum and Ul- queen”) and her name appeared both in the purely as- mashitum celebrated in the capital city; the twin god- tronomical tablets of Ammisaduqa and in a description desses were very likely the two aspects of Inanna. An of the sacred marriage ritual (Jacobsen 1987, p.124; interesting document explaining Ishtar’s dualism is the Heimpel 1982, p.10–11). In post-Sumerian texts even Akkadian hymn to Agushaya, in which Ishtar as the her name was etymologized, as Ninana(k) “the queen goddess of war makes trouble for the people and Ea of heaven” (Jacobsen 1970, p.27); and many other epi- decides to create Saltu – the mirror reflection of Ishtar. thets also pointed to her astral character, e.g. the prayer Unfortunately the tablet containing the text is broken. LKA 70 i 28–29 where she was called “the celestial Nevertheless, the last passage suggests that the god- light that penetrates the heavens and the earth” (Seux dess was not happy with this creation and promised to 1976, p.435). As the goddess of Venus, Ishtar was sym- stay calm for whole year except on the day of the feast bolized by a six- or eight-pointed star. of Agushaya. On this day, people would dance and cel- ebrate in the streets (Foster 1977, p.84). In this respect, it is likely that the famous myth about Inanna/Ishtar descending to the Netherworld (Sladek All these particulars clearly show the important role 1974) was based on an observation of Venus’ internal Ishtar played in the Mesopotamian pantheon as well conjunction (Sołtysiak 2002). The goddess entered the as in popular beliefs. Unfortunately, we do not have at land of the dead in the west, but declared that her aim our disposal equally good sources concerning the role was to travel to the east. The seven elements of her di- of Anahita in Persian religion. vine aura – which she was forced to leave behind, one As is well known, Anahita had long been present in the after the other, in each of the seven gates of the Neth- Iranian pantheon, probably since its origin sometime in erworld – may have been associated with the gradual the Bronze Age. Persians paid homage to the goddess disappearance of the planet into the glow of the Sun. Anahita whose cult continued to be practiced without The story itself was probably composed at the turn of interruption up until the time of the Muslim conquest. the third millennium, but even then it expressed some The Arab conquest of the Sasanian Empire put an end older motifs and was re-written as late as the Neo-As- to the ancient period of the Zoroastrian religion and syrian period. there are indications that references to Anahita also The dualism of Inanna/Ishtar, obviously related to the disappeared almost completely from Persian belief at two easily observed phases of Venus’ visibility, was this point. Our study is focused mainly on the Achae- strongly emphasized both in early and late Mesopota- menid period, but later time periods should not be for- mian texts. There are many explicit mentions of Inanna gotten since they serve to reveal further developments as the goddess of dusk and dawn, e.g. in her ershem- in Zoroastrian religion. During the Achaemenid dynas- ma-hymn (Cohen 1981, p.134). In later periods Ishtar ty, Mesopotamian influences on Persian religion seem was frequently recognized to be an androgynous deity. generally to have been strongest, particularly when the 46 broader relationships between the two lands are taken Iranian deities from the main triad, Shamash and Mi- into consideration. thra (Jakubiak and Sołtysiak 2006). According to the testimony of Beressos the Babylonian, who lived in The name of Anahita can be associated with the Aves- the third century B.C., similar temples dedicated to the tian adjective anahita which is usually connected with Persian triad were erected in nearly every city. Harahwati Aredwi Sura yazata. It is clear that yazata had a strong relationship to flowing water and fertil- Nevertheless, in Persian art from the Achaemenid pe-

ity. The adjective anahita can be translated from the riod certain motifs can be found that could be associ- 10 BALTICA Avestian language as “immaculate”. This indicates that ated with the attributes typical of Anahita. Such motifs Anahita, as a goddess who was immaculate and pure, can be recognized most readily in the glyptic material. had been a very powerful symbol in Persian religion. According to Shepherd, who analyzed the iconography Moreover, she was identified with the planet Venus, of Anahita, several seals depicting females are likely to which provides a strong argument that she was linked be representations of this goddess (Shepherd 1980). Of

to the Mesopotamian goddess Ishtar. course, there are very few such representations com- ARCHAEOLOGIA pared to the Sasanian period, a situation that could be Anahita is probably one of the most mysterious deities explained by the fact that Anahita was venerated par- in the Persian pantheon. She was present in the old- ticularly by members of the Sasanian dynasty. est forms of Iranian religion. Moreover, it is also inter- esting that no Yasht was dedicated to her, particularly In the Achaemenid period, iconography that can be as- because this suggests that since the oldest periods she sociated with depictions of Anahita can be found on had been worshiped among the ordinary people, and cylinder seals. The attributes depicted – a lotus flower, that her symbolism and position in Iranian religion was a bird and a diadem – are typical for Anahita (Shepherd so strong that no further elaboration was needed.1 This 1980, p.56). The tiara which also could be recognized argument is even more persuasive if one takes into ac- as a corona muralis is one of the other elements often II count the fact that in the absence of textual sources linked to the attributes of Ishtar. Together with a coro- II. ASTRO- the dominant position of Anahita remained unchanged na muralis, birds were also typical elements associated NOMICAL AND throughout nearly the whole of antiquity and flourished with Ishtar (Shepperd 1980). It seems highly likely COSMOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE most intensely during the Sasanian period. In Yasht 5 that the introduction of Anahita into the official state IN MYTHOLOGY of the Avesta, one does find some sentences that were religion by Artaxerxes II was strongly tied to propa- AND RELIGION dedicated to Anahita. Here the goddess is described as ganda campaigns and to the prevailing royal ideology. a person driven on a chariot, a wild river, a wind, a Generally speaking, everything that was Persian in ori- cloud, and snow. The dualistic symbolism of the god- gin was viewed as the quintessence of Persian pride. dess is clearly highlighted in these poetic elements, for Such a preeminent role could be assigned to Anahita, she is portrayed as warlike while at the same time be- who, according to the ideology of the time, was just as ing associated with concepts of fertility. On the other important as one of the most popular goddesses from hand, these pluvial aspects were rather marginal since Mesopotamia: Ishtar. the main attributes of Anahita were rivers, ecologically The similarity of Anahita to Ishtar may well have been crucial elements in Iranian religious belief among rural the starting point for her association with the planet communities (Boyce 1967; Boyce 1988, p. 89). Venus. According to Herodotus (I. 131), the cult of Anahita’s position probably changed during the late Anahita was widespread in the Persian Empire and her Achaemenid period (late fifth and fourth centuries cult was referred to by the name of the celestial god- B.C.). It appears that this process occurred during the dess Aphrodite/Anahitis. The Avestan word anahitish reign of Artaxerxes II (404-358 B.C.), who introduced means “immaculate” which was a concept connected two deities, Mithra and Anahita, into the official re- with Venus. Nor was it accidental that both deities had ligion in addition to the main god Ahuramazda. This similar attributes, since the convergence provided an reform was probably carried out on Persian territory opportunity to establish the position of Anahita firmly and under strong Mesopotamian influence (Jakubiak, on both Mesopotamian and Persian territory. Sołtysiak 2006). In this respect, it is important to note Moreover, the iconography of Anahita is very closely that the construction of the temples in Iran had been related to the constellation Leo. This is confirmed by going on since the time of Artaxerxes II. As was dis- the representations found on cylinder seals as well as cussed briefly in during the Toruń conference, the same the symbol of the lion (Boardmann 2003, p.195). It is situation can be identified concerning the two other commonly accepted in Mesopotamian research that such representations of lions have astral aspects con- 1 “Yashts” is the Persian name for the hymns that formed nected with the constellation Leo. Consequently, if important parts of the Avesta, the holy book of the Zoroas- trians. depictions almost identical to the Mesopotamian repre- 47 sentation of Anahita can be found on the cylinder seals, have been important. The relationship between Inanna is would support the above thesis. and the sixth month is attested back in ca. 2100 BCE, and it is possible that even earlier, in Gudea’s calendar Apart from this, we have no data that clearly demon- (ca. 2150 BCE), the name of the sixth month Ur (“the Watching Watching strate diffusion or changes in the nature of Anahita’s lion/dog”) was already connected with the goddess, cult during Parthian rule. We do not even have evidence whose animal attribute was the lion. Unfortunately, no concerning her celestial association or position in the information about any feast during this month has been pantheon. We can only speculate that the religious doc- preserved (Cohen 1993, p.74). trine did not change. What is significant, according to Mesopotamianon Persian Sky – Influencesand Calendars.Anahita Ishtar and Part II. the sources, is that the cult of Anahita was very popular During the second millennium, the sixth month was not only in the Parthian Empire, but also among many continuously linked with Ishtar and the so-called “Nip- peoples and nations in other parts of the Middle East. pur Compendium” simply associates Ululu with the Anahita was particularly worshiped in Armenia, where goddess (Cohen 1993, p.324). In one of the mytho-

KRZYSZTOF KRZYSZTOF JAKUBIAK, ARKADIUSZ SO Ł TYSIAK her cult survived until the population’s conversion to logical texts composed early in the second millennium, Christianity (Boyce 1983, p.1007). One similarity is Dumuzi, Inanna’s husband sentenced by her to death, significant: all the statues of Anahita were located in was called Ululu (Jacobsen 1978, p.51), which sug- temples, no matter in which part of the Middle East the gests that the Akkadian name of the month was related temples themselves were constructed. to the story about Ishtar’s journey to the Netherworld and her return. The name of the sixth month in the local A particularly interesting fact, true not only in the re- calendar from Sippar may also reflect this story, since gion of Mesopotamia, is that the association between Tirum is probably associated with Akkadian taru, “to Anahita and Ishtar survived. Some aspects of Nanai come back” (Cohen 1993, p.278). In the more-or-less also can be observed in Anahita’s character (Boyce contemporary calendar used in Mari, the sixth month 1988, p.123; Chaumont 1983, p.1008-1009). In other was called DINGIR.IGI.KUR, which may be interpret- words, we can assume that the cult of Nanai was ab- ed as the name of the deified Netherworld and again sorbed by that of Anahita. This supposition is funda- associated with Inanna’s journey. mental because the main characteristic of Nanai was her violent and warlike character (Boyce 1988, p.123). According to the menology of Astrolabe B, the month If this is right, it means that during the period in ques- Ululu is the “work of Ishtar of Elam, the goddesses tion warlike elements in the cult were much more are purified in the sacred river” (Cohen 1993, p.322). important for the Arsacid dynasty. It is possible that It is possible that this ritual took place in the middle of during their conflict with Rome the Parthians needed the month, between the 11th and the 14th days (Cohen such warlike deities to give divine support during dif- 1993, p.104–105). Also in the Neo-Assyrian calendar ficult times. In such conditions, paradoxically, Anahi- of feasts K 3753, during the month of Ululu “the lady ta’s cult could have developed and been consolidated of gods purifies her body in the divine river”. In the in Persia. If so, then Anahita’s increased importance, decadent tradition of Uruk the purifying rites of Anu which started during the Achaemenid period, contin- and Ishtar, as well as the ceremony of their sacred ued during Parthian times and reached its peak in the marriage, took place in the month of Ululu (McEwan Sasanian period. 1981, p.177). In the later Assyrian calendar, the minor feast of Ishtar Some astronomical aspects of Ishtar took also place in the fourth month and was related to and Anahita the taklimtu ritual when Dumuzi/Tammuz was called back from the Netherworld together with the dead who Many minor feasts dedicated to Inanna and Ishtar are received their offerings. Such a feast may also be at- attested in various local traditions, but the most impor- tested in the calendar from Mari (Cohen 1993, p.289), tant and persistent of them was the feast that took place where the major feast of Ishtar took place during the during the sixth month of the standard Mesopotamian ninth month (Cohen 1993, p.293). In third-millennium calendar, called Ululu (“the cry”) in Akkadian and Uruk the feast elunum of Inanna was organized during Kin-Inanna (“the oracle of Inanna”) in Sumerian (Sal- the second month (Cohen 1993, p.211). More myste- laberger 1993, p.128–129). This feast was organized rious is the passage in Astrolabe B which relates that at one of most important junctures in the solar year, the tenth month Tebetu was “the month of Ishtar’s bril- close to the autumnal equinox. Despite the fact that in liance”. Perhaps an explanation can be found in one of the Mesopotamian lunar calendar the relation between Ashurbanipal’s inscriptions, where we read that “Te- fixed calendar feasts and the position of the Sun was al- betu [is] the month of visibility of the Bow Star, the ways fluid, the proximity to the autumnal equinox may feast of the worshipped Queen, the daughter of Enlil” 48 (Cohen 1993, p.336). The Bow Star (identified as Canis this respect, the religion dating from the reign of Anti- Major) and the bow in general were widely recognized och I of Commagene is quite well documented by his attributes of Ishtar, so it is possible that in later tradi- gigantic “mausoleum” at Nemrud Dag (Wagner 2000; tions the calendrical feast of Ishtar was also associated Waldmann 1991). The worship of Anahita in Com- with her constellation. magene could have been borrowed from Persian tradi- tion, but Mesopotamian tradition very probably played Another astral attribute of Ishtar was the constellation an important role too, and in all likelihood Anahita was of Annunitum (part of modern Pisces). During at least 10 BALTICA strictly associated with the astral aspects of the planet the second and first millennia BCE the lion was the Venus. chief symbolic animal of Ishtar, and this provides an- other reason why the constellation of Leo sometimes As we have already mentioned, other details of Anahi- appears, especially in late astrological tradition, as the ta’s cult are found in Armenia. In this country strongly attribute of Ishtar, who was also connected with the influenced by Persia, not only were statues of the god-

planet Venus. dess worshiped; we can also recognize some celestial ARCHAEOLOGIA contexts of the cult. It is peculiar that only in Armenia Ishtar was represented most frequently as an armed did people organize special ceremonies and festivals woman standing on a lion, sometimes with wings or dedicated to Anahita. These festivals developed over surrounded by stars. In addition, it is possible that time. During the early Christian period, the Assumption representations of naked women standing facing for- of the Virgin Mary was celebrated on a day formerly wards ought to be identified as Inanna/Ishtar. In a few called Great Mithraghan. This fell on the 21st day of cases the goddess was associated with mountains, as in the month Mihr (Boyce 1986, p.802-805). The month the Sumerian epic “Enmerkar and the Lord of Aratta” Mihr can be identified back to the Achaemenid period where Inanna is presented as “heaven’s great queen as the seventh month in the Mesopotamian calendar – riding on high in a ruddy robe, enthroned on the moun- what became August/September. Hence, the 21st day II tain summits” (Jacobsen 1987, p.295). of Mithraghan was celebrated on September 19/20th. II. ASTRO- At this point we will take a closer look at Anahita and NOMICAL AND In other words, the feast was organized near the au- COSMOLOGICAL her status as well as the significant role and astronomi- tumnal equinox. That day was probably important in KNOWLEDGE cal manifestations of her cult. Since our knowledge IN MYTHOLOGY the Persian religious calendar because Anahita was AND RELIGION about Persian religious belief and its astronomical worshiped as a goddess of victory, an assumption that connotations is very scanty, it is impossible to deter- derives from the character of the early Christian cer- mine for certain how many religious aspects came to emony organized in Armenia. Moreover, the day and be deeply rooted in Persian astronomical lore. Among the character of the ceremonies dedicated to Anahita in the data at our disposal we do not have clear evidence her capacity as a celestial and victorious deity were not that could be helpful in our investigations of those as- chosen accidentally. According to Persian tradition, on pects directly linked to Persian religious beliefs, since that day the Persian hero Feridun had defeated Hahak, the textual sources have not survived. However, there a terrible evil monster, in what can be understood as a can be no doubt that Persian religion, like any religious mythological reflection of combat between good and system, could not have existed without a calendar and evil spirits, a tradition that is very well known in Per- calendrical festivals, and consequently without using sian religion. astronomical lore. Another feast that can also be associated with the cult Although we have no information regarding the astro- of some of Anahita’s aspects is the ceremony dedicated nomical aspects of the cult of Anahita within Persian to Tishtria, the yazata of rivers. The feast was called territory, sources from the area strongly influenced by Tirigam and took place during the springtime. Howev- Persia can be very helpful and serve to clarify this in- er, the only other information we have at our disposal is teresting topic. that the feast was associated with Sirius. Nothing in the Some celestial aspects of the Anahita cult can sup- ancient sourceshelps us to determine the day on which posedly be found outside Persian territory. In Com- the ceremonies took place. There is no doubt, however, magene, for instance, there was a cult of Ormuzd, that the yazata of water was viewed as emanating from Mithra and Anahita (Boyce 1986, p. 843, 7 vol., Dio Anahita (Boyce 1969, p.31; Boyce 1979, p.100-101). Chrysostom XXXVI 38-60; Strabo XV. 3. 13-17). As This does at least allow us to conclude that ceremonies is well known, the religion of the Commagenian dy- dedicated to this important goddess and her cult were nasty contained many aspects of Hellenistic, Persian, not only carried out in the early autumn but also, in and local traditions mixed together, which brought a special circumstances, during the springtime. new syncretism to the local religion of the region. In 49 Conclusions clusions primarily through inference by constructing patterns of converging evidence. Hence, we have little The existence of these links between the main deities direct evidence which could support the hypothesis on of Persia and Mesopotamia is not surprising. Meso- more scientific grounds. Watching Watching potamian religion, with its very old traditions, must surely have had very strong influences on Persian reli- References gion and associated beliefs. The confluence of ideas is particularly clear during Artaxerxes II’s reign, when a BOARDMAN, J., 2003. Die Perser und der Westen. Mainz

Mesopotamianon Persian Sky – Influencesand Calendars.Anahita Ishtar and Part II. fascination with Mesopotamian customs was observed am Rhein: Ph. von Zabern. as bringing about a very profound process of change BOYCE, M., 1967. Bibi Shahrbanu and the Lady of Pars. in Persian religion. Under Mesopotamian influences, Bulletin of School of Oriental and African Studies, Univer- sity of London, 30, 1, Fiftieth Anniversary Volume, 10-34. Mitha and Anahita appeared alongside Ahura Mazda to BOYCE, M., 1969. On Mithra’s Part in Zoroastrianism. Bul- form the main triad of deities in the Persian pantheon. letin of School of Oriental and African Studies, University KRZYSZTOF KRZYSZTOF JAKUBIAK, ARKADIUSZ SO Ł TYSIAK It seems reasonable to draw a parallel with Shamash, of London, 32, 1, 10-34. Ishtar and Sin. Certain astral aspects associated with BOYCE, M., 1979. Zoroastrians. Their Religious Beliefs the planet Venus – which is linked to with Ishtar and and Practices. 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Received: 1 November 2007; Revised: 15 September 2008

MESOPOTAMIJOS ĮTAKOS PERSŲ DANGAUS STEBĖJIMAMS IR KALENDORIAMS. II DALIS. IŠTAR IR ANAHITA

Krzysztof Jakubiak, Arkadiusz Sołtysiak

Santrauka

Straipsnis nagrinėja panašumus tarp Babilonijos ir Per- sijos religinių sistemų. Šie panašumai aptariami nagri- nėjant dvi abiem religinėms sistemoms svarbias deives. Deivės Anahita ir Ištara pasirodo čia ne tik religiniame lygmenyje, bet taip pat yra siejamos su dangumi ir as- trologija. Jos abi čia atstovauja Veneros planetą. Šie panašumai gali būti rezultatas tų įtakų, kurios sklido 51